Feeding the Flame
by Lipslikefire
Summary: Katniss was supposed to live a life of peace after the rebellion. But when President Snow returns, clearly not dead, he brings back the Hunger Games. Who better to send to the Arena, than Katniss' own children, Violet and Ash? Contains MJ spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games, or Suzanne Collins. I only own me. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

**SPOILER ALERT** If you haven't finished Mockingjay, don't read this!

Please review if you like my story! This is my first story, so any constructive criticism is appreciated! I thought of continuing where Mockingjay left off, so here goes.

~Fire

It's been 15 years since I shot President Coin. President Snow is dead. The rebels are sitting at bay, waiting for one wrong move from the Capitol to set them in action. I've been relieved from my Mockingjay duties. For now. I refuse to tell Violet and Asher about what happened in the years following the first Hunger Games. They don't need to know. Peeta and I know we'll have to tell them someday, but I want to keep the truth from them for as long as possible. They only know the watered-down truth, that Peeta and I were in the Hunger Games and won.

Violet is wise for a 14 year old; I think she sees through my fake smile when I tell the story. She doesn't say a word, but I know she knows more of the truth than I would have liked. Asher, Ash for short, is the sweetest son a mother could wish for. He's 15, and I feel so blessed to have him. But someday, they will have to know the reasons behind my nightmares. I occasionally wake up screaming in the middle of the night, refusing to calm down until Peeta sings to me. He can push the nightmares at bay, but he can never really make them go away. For now, though, we're safe.

The phone interrupts me cooking. I sigh, and pick it up off the receiver. Probably just another stupid telemarketer.

"Listen, I don't want to buy any of your-" I start, only to be interrupted again.

"You didn't honestly think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?" I can hear him smile through the phone. He wheezes and I can hear him struggle to regain his breath.

No. This is impossible. Snow is dead. _Dead._ He's dead, rotting in a ditch right now, a white, wilted rose in his shirt pocket. But the voice speaking in my ear tells me otherwise.

"No. You're dead. You can't be alive. How?" My mind was thrown back into the past, the day of President Coin's assassination. I vaguely remember a pair of ice blue eyes looking at me from under the hood of a cloak, victory sparkling in their depths. I had thought at the time it was just an old man, but now I come to the realization I was stupid. I now know I had been looking into Snow's eyes that day, and for the past 15 years, I had been living under a false sense of security.

Snow chuckles softly. "Katniss, never trust your eyes. I didn't die. Did it ever occur to you that the guards who took my body away were working for me? They took me away to a safe haven, where I could gain my strength back, and plan my next move. My next move is to kill President Paylor. At this moment, my guards are stationed at the Capitol waiting for my signal to kill Paylor at this very moment. " His voice sends cold shivers down my spine.

"But what about the security?" I ask, trying to stop my suddenly sweaty hands from dropping the phone. My mind has gone numb with shock.

"All the guards surrounding Paylor work for _me._" He laughs, the kind of laugh only a maniac could muster. I hear a click on the other end of the phone. "The signal has been sent. And in a short while here, Paylor will be dead, and the President's chair will be returned to me."

My mind goes numb. I can barely manage the few words I get out of my parched mouth.

"No. No. No. No." I throw the phone against the drywall, tears trying to force their way out of my eyes. The world spins around me, and the kitchen blurs into a mess of black and white. I sink to the floor, unimaginable horrors flooding my mind.

In the back of my mind, I hear the T.V. come to life. I numbly get to my feet, and run to the living room. The Presidential Seal flickers across the screen before a reporter's face is shown on screen, his lips moving. I can barely hear, so I grab the remote and turn up the volume.

"-and sources say that is was one of Paylor's own guards who fired the fatal shot. President Paylor's body is being taken away, and memorial services will take place tomorrow at the Capitol Garden. A emergency vote has taken place, and we are awaiting the results." The reporter presses a hand to his ear. A look of pure terror floods his face, and it takes him a moment to regain his composure.

"I've just received news that the new president is Mr. Snow. This is a shock for us all, however, President Snow will not be releasing more info about his supposed death. That's right, Mr. Snow is once again President Snow!" He says this unenthusiastically, and I can see the horror play across his face once more. He presses his hand to his earpiece once more, and his mouth makes a _O_ of surprise.

"President Snow has just announced that the Hunger Games _will _continue, and the tributes have already been pre-determined."

"PEETA! Peeta, come here!" I shout as loud as I can.

Moments later, Peeta runs into the room. "What?" He asks. He looks at my face, and then at the T.V.

"What happened?" He looks at me. I shake my head, my tongue can't form the words. I point to the T.V.

"That's right folks, President Snow will be announcing the chosen tributes tomorrow! The Hunger Games will continue, so stay tuned for more details! Tune in tomorrow at 5:00, and President Snow will release the names of the tributes." He plasters a smile to his face, which just outlines the weird black swirls on his cheekbones. I swear, I don't get Capitol people's strange fascination with making themselves as unhumanlike as they can. Then the words that were said sink into my brain. I gasp, and sink to the floor. Peeta just stares at the T.V., tears in his eyes. He grabs the remote from my hand and turns off the T.V. Reality blurs with the horrors of my imagination, and I press my hands to my head, trying to sort out my jumbled mind.

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. The Capitol wanted me dead. My home is District 12. District 12 is being rebuilt. Gale killed Prim. I killed President Coin. Peeta loves me. I am The Girl On Fire. President Snow is back. I am Katniss Everdeen..._

My hands fish out a piece of frayed rope from my pants pocket. I tie and untie furiously, blocking my mind from the world, thinking about knots and nothing but knots and -my chin is suddenly pulled up. I stared into the face of the one I loved- Peeta.

"Katniss, it will be okay. Shhh...shh baby, just stand up for me." I can see his lips moving, but the sounds they make mean nothing to me. I raise my hand, and press my fingers against his mouth, as if I could understand him better then.

I close my eyes. When I open them again, I'm in bed with a worried-looking Peeta gently stroking my face. He opens his mouth to say something when my the last couple hours come back to me. I can feel my heartbeat beating rapidly, and my eyes swim as Peeta goes in and out of focus. I gasp, trying to compose myself.

"President Snow...he..." I manage before I break down into tears. Peeta immediately grabs a tissue from our bedside table and dries my cheeks off. They stay dry a good 5 seconds before my cheeks are wet again.

"Shh...Katniss sweetheart, it'll be alright." He soothes.

"It won't be alright!" I sob. "I shouldn't have been so stupid! Why did I ever think President Snow would ever leave us alone?" I shriek.

Peeta furrows his brow. He was always the calm one in bad situations. "We can make it through this. You're a tough woman, and Violet and Ash need you to be strong."

I look into his rich blue eyes. "You're right." I take a deep breath before continuing. "I won't let this get to me. But you do know who President Snow intends to use as tributes for District 12, don't you?" I can't look into Peeta's eyes; I just can't bear to see the look. But I make myself look into his eyes anyway.

I see sadness, longing, grief, but I also see hatred. He and I both hate the Capitol. We still have relapses in our sanity; at times, I'll break down and cry, telling myself over and over who I am, and at times Peeta will look at me like he hates me.

It's slowly killing us both, not knowing when these relapses in our memory will be, but they've come more and more infrequently.

Peeta gazes sullenly into my eyes. He tilts his head closer to mine, and we kiss. For a fleeting moment, nothing matters, just the closeness of our lips, the beating of our hearts, and it's perfect. I wish I could live in that moment forever, but even the best fabricated fantasy will be shattered by reality.

I hear the sound of feet running down the hallway. Peeta rolls onto his back and props himself up on the down pillows. I slide closer to him, and rest my head on his stomach. The door creaks open, and I look into a pair of speckled blue eyes.

"Hi Mommy. Hi Daddy."

Violet steps into the room, careful not to step on a sleeping Buttercup. I still kept him after all these years, though now he is a ancient cat, and he's blind in one eye. But I know he remembers. Whenever someone speaks of Prim, he meows and looks into my eyes. Sometimes I'll wake up and hear him meowing at the front door. It's like he still has hope she'll return to him. We get along much better, having lost someone we both love.

Peeta looks into my eyes. I nod solemnly. He clears his throat before speaking.

"Violet, I think it's time you learned how Rue became your middle name."

:D Well I hope you like Chapter 1, and please review if you liked it! Even if you didn't like, review! :D

~Fire


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I didn't own The Hunger Games in chapter 1, and I still don't own it! I only own me.

Review if you like it! And if you have any criticism, feel free to tell me in a review!

Hope you like it!

~Fire

Peeta was just about to open his mouth to speak when Ash walked in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't say anything, he just looked at Peeta. Peeta smiled, a smile that only I saw through. Neither one of us wanted to have to tell Ash and Violet about the horrors known as the Hunger Games, but we had no choice at this point. Peeta began to tell the tale of the star-crossed lovers.

"Once, in a District 12 much different than the one we live in now, there was a boy and a girl. The girl's sister was picked at the reaping. The girl, not wanting her sister to be subjected to such awfulness, volunteered to take her place. She regarded this as a death sentence. The boy was reaped, but no one volunteered for him. He knew there could only be one victor, so he vowed to do anything he could to help that girl win. And so the star-crossed lovers were born…." He continued with the story, Ash and Violet's eyes glued to Peeta's face.

He had such a way with words, and he made our nightmare of a story sound better than it had been. His voice painted the story with such bright colors, and he even managed to tell the part about him being drugged with tracker jacker venom without breaking down and sobbing, but his voice took on a grimmer tone.

All in all, the story takes a couple hours to finish. But suddenly I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my heart. I no longer have to hide the truth from Ash and Violet. But a new weight settles on my heart. They will have to face the fears of the arena. And there's nothing I can do about it.

Violet looks at me, and crawls over to me. She rests her chin on my shoulder, and as I stroke her hair, I wish once again I could pause time. But no amount of wishing can change the truth. Ash just stares at Peeta, then lowers his head. I see a tear fall from his eyes. Peeta told the story beautifully, there was no doubt about it. But that doesn't erase the fact that we had been to hell and back.

"We're going to be in the Hunger Games, aren't we?" Ash said. He stated it like a fact, like he knew there was no other alternative. It was like he knew he wasn't going to be alive to see the victor. I knew he would do everything and anything to protect his sister.

"Yes." I replied. Why bother trying to hide him from the awfulness of the world anymore?

The T.V. in the living room emitted a small beep to alert the inhabitants of this home that it was about to broadcast a message from the Capitol. Dread settled in my heart.

It was time for President Snow to announce the chosen tributes.

~Yeah, I know this chapter was short, but I promise to make it up in the next chapter!

~Fire


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry I took this long to update, it's just that I had writer's block, and I'm being swamped with homework. DX Anyway, I hope you like this! R&R! :D

~Fire

My feet are unsteady as I walk to the living room. Peeta's steady hands are on my shoulders, pushing me in the direction of the couch. I sink into the cushions of the sofa, my eyes fastened to the T.V. Peeta sits next to me, and Violet and Ash sit on the floor in front of us. Ash's face is neatly composed, but his eyes tell me the truth. He's just as afraid as the rest of us.

Violet's eyes are watering, but she takes a deep breath before looking at the T.V. screen. The Presidential seal flashes across the monitor before I'm staring into the eyes of the only man I truly hate. His ice blue eyes haven't changed at all; they still show the hatred and contempt they did all those years ago. The only thing about him that changed was his hair. It was all grey, and his face should have shown signs of aging, but in the Capitol, all the citizens get injections so they look younger. I hate them all with a burning passion.

Snow sits at a luxurious mahogany desk, with paperwork in front of him. In a corner of his desk sits a yellow flower in a crystal vase. But it's not just any flower, and my mind goes vacant as I realize what type of flower it is. It's a springtime primrose. I feel my face go pale as I remember Prim, and how she was brutally and viciously robbed of life. I know he placed the flower there just to put me on edge. President Snow clears his throat and opens his mouth.

"Good evening, citizens of Panem. Tonight, I'm coming to you live from the Capitol for a _very _special announcement. Tonight is the night the chosen tributes are revealed! But first, let's find out who's the Gamemaker this year! Ladies and gentlemen, I present this year's Gamemaker: Gale Hawthorne!"

My blood turns to ice. There is no way _Gale_ of all people would think of helping the Capitol, much less help fashion the Hunger Games. Peeta is looking at me, gauging my reaction. I narrow my eyes.

_Who cares what Gale does? He can work for the Capitol, I couldn't care less. _I think to myself.

Gale's picture floats across the television, with President Snow's voice in the background. He was talking about new surprises in this year's Hunger Games, but I couldn't stop the hate-fest going on in my brain long enough to focus on Snow's words. Gale had grown up, there was no doubt about it. His black hair hung into his eyes, and under his tight black shirt, I could see his muscles and abs. But my feelings for him were gone. They had diminished when I walked away from him 15 years ago. The screen focuses on President Snow again, and he clears his throat again before continuing.

"And now, it's time to announce the tributes!" He states every tribute's name clearly, from Districts 1-10, when he pauses. He looks straight into the camera, and somehow, I know his blood-chilling smile is for me.

"From District 11, Primrose Everdeen, and Sebastian Odair." I can hardly believe my ears. He just said my _dead_ sister's name, and Finnick and Annie's son. I fondly remember the first time I saw him, just a year after he was born. With his black curls and sea green eyes he looked like a mini Finnick. He even had the same grin. It made my heart ache that Finnick's son was forced to participate in the Games.

But my mind came back to President Snow's words. He had said that my _sister_ was going into the Games. I was overcome with joy that she was somehow still alive, but filled sorrow and sadness at the same time. Why hadn't she called? Why hadn't she sent me a message of any kind to tell me she was still alive? Maybe President Snow had blocked any means of her communicating with anyone. That had to be it. I mean she wouldn't just accidentally _forget_ to call me, would she? My mind was jumping to conclusions. I stopped assuming, and instead was just grateful she was alive. President Snow had purposefully stopped talking for a minute, no doubt letting the news of my sister sink in. He winked, and continued.

"The tributes from District 12 are as follows: Violet Mellark, and Asher Mellark. And there's the list of the chosen tributes, ladies and gentlemen! Tomorrow at midnight a train will arrive at each of the 12 Districts, and they will take the tributes to get prepped and ready. And Katniss-" He smiled maliciously before speaking again. "-I am _always_ watching you." He winked again, and the screen fell blank.

Whew! Well I hope I made up for the short chapter with this one! Hope you liked it! Any suggestions, just leave them in a review!

And thanks to KatnissEverdeen44 for chatting with me! She's an awesome person! :D

~Fire


	4. Chapter 4

~Sorry it took so long to update! Hope you like this chapter!

~Fire

That night, Violet and Ash sleep with Peeta and I. I've blocked my mind from the words that were spoken that night, and instead stroke Peeta's wavy blond hair. Our bed is a king size mattress, so space for 4 people is no problem. The problem was that in just a day 2 of those people would be gone. Almost undoubtedly one of them would never return. Possibly both. But I wouldn't let myself think about that. Peeta is just as restless as I. Neither of us will be getting any sleep anytime soon. Peeta stares into my eyes. I wonder what I ever did in my life to deserve him. I close my eyes, not out of drowsiness, but because of sadness. Peeta climbs out of bed and silently holds a hand out to me. I take it. He leads me outside to the back porch. It's near 10:00, but the moon casts a luminescent glow over everything in the Victor's Village, and some of the meadow. I haven't been in the meadow for a few years now. It holds too many memories. I look deep into the meadow, and I see something red. I squint, wondering what it could be. I cross the gnarled remains of what used to be the gate that kept people from going into the meadow to hunt illegally. I walk over to a tree, and my breath catches in my throat. There's a red arrow stuck into the tree, and a note that flaps in the gentle breeze. When I see the all too familiar scratchy handwriting, I quickly shove the note into my petticoat pocket. I yank out the arrow and snap it in two over my knee. I walk 10 yards back to where Peeta is sitting on the porch, a bewildered look on his face. I shake my head.

"It-" I clear my throat. My voice is hoarse from crying. "It's nothing. I just thought I saw an owl." I say. I know Peeta can see right through my lie, but he doesn't say anything. I sit down on the porch steps with him. I lean my head on his broad shoulders, and concentrate on his heartbeat. I counted 21 beats before he speaks.

"I love you."

Three words, the sentence that's been spoken between lovers for centuries. But at this very moment, it's the only thing that can comfort me.

"I love you too." He takes my hand and intertwines our fingers. I look at the moon, and a mockingjay flies by and perches on a nearby branch. I take the chance to whistle Rue's tune, the one that she whistled all those years ago to signal the end of a workday. The mockingjay cocks its head, and repeats the tune. I whistle it again. The mockingjay whistles back, and flies away. But I can hear it repeating the tune until the forest swallows it up. I almost cry, but I don't. Crying won't help anyone right now. I need to be strong. Fatigue threatens to overwhelm me. I need to sleep.

I stand up, and Peeta and I walk silently back into the bedroom. I climb under the covers. Peeta clambers in next to me. He places a protective hand around me, and I fall asleep to the sound of his heart beating.

I wake up much earlier than I need to. I go into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. It shocks me but it does the trick. I'm now fully awake. I walk into the kitchen and get the ingredients for pancakes. I've just gotten the milk from the top shelf in the refrigerator when Peeta strolls into the kitchen.

"Why don't I make breakfast? Unless you _prefer_ it burnt," Peeta remarks. I roll my eyes.

"After all these years, you still doubt my cooking?"

"Well, yes."

I raise my eyebrows in mock surprise. "Well would you rather have no breakfast?"

Peeta laughs and strolls out of the room.

I finish the pancakes and set them on the table. This may be the last breakfast I have with my children. I can feel my eyes watering, but I quickly wipe my face. I can't cry now. Peeta, Violet, and Ash come into the room, and take their seats.

Breakfast is over quickly; Violet and Ash finish their pancakes and go to their rooms, leaving just me and Peeta in the kitchen. Peeta must see the hurt on my face, because he speaks softly.

"They're just nervous, Katniss. They both understand that they're going into the games, and that they have a slim chance of returning. Just leave them be." His voice cracks on the last few words.

It's near noon when Violet comes out of her room, dressed in a simple black outfit. I gasp when I realize what she's wearing. She's wearing my mockingjay outfit. President Snow will just _love_ that. This time I don't bother to wipe the tears that fall from my eyes. I hug Violet fiercely.

"I figured since you were the mockingjay in your Games, I would carry on the tradition. My death will not go unnoticed." Violet speaks with such certainty; she's convinced she won't make it out alive.

I shake my head. "Violet, promise one thing."

"Anything, Mom."

"Stay alive."

Violet swallows, and looks me directly in the eyes. "I can't promise that."

I admire her for her unwillingness to back down, but she's sometimes too stubborn. Like right now. I place my hands on her shoulder and look deep into her eyes.

"Violet, please. Promise me you'll at least try." I plead.

Violet nods. "I'll try." She walks back to her room.

Ash comes out wearing a red tie that belonged to Peeta, with a black button-down shirt. I'm, proud of both him and Violet, not because they're going into the Games, but because they have a passion and determination. I hug Ash briefly, and Peeta walks into the room. To my surprise, he looks like he was crying. Peeta comes over and we all hug. Ash doesn't say anything as he walks outside.

At 11:45 P.M., Peeta, Violet, Ash, and I are standing outside, waiting for the train that has all the tributes on it. The train can only stay here for 20 minutes, but that should be enough for me to find Prim and see how she's doing. I hear the sound of a train horn not too far in the distance. My heartbeat speeds up, and my hands are clammy. In less than a half hour, my children will be gone. The train pulls to a screech at the Victor's Village, and Prim jumps out of the train before it's even come to a complete stop. I run towards her. We hug and I pull away, looking into the eyes of my little sister. Tears well up at the corners of her eyes. This week has been full of crying. Prim has just enough time to say, "I love you Katniss! I've missed you!" before she's whisked back into the train. The door at the front of the train opens, and at first all I can see is a silhouette, but once he steps into the full light, I gasp. I thought I had been prepared, but I hadn't. Just seeing him opens new wounds I've spent years trying to patch. He smiles at me, and it's all I can do to not kick him in the head. He comes toward me, and I shrink into Peeta. I don't have to look at Peeta to know his expression is one of disgust mixed with anger and disbelief. Gale is here, and I hate him. I hate him with a burning passion. It doesn't help that he's this year's Gamemaker. It just makes me want to shoot an arrow through his skull all the more. He's merely steps away from me when Peeta steps in front of me, growling. _Growling._ I didn't know he could do that.

"Don't take another step towards her, Hawthorne." Peeta says. I can hear the clear warning. I admit it, Peeta was hot when he was angry.

But Gale just laughs. "Move aside _Mellark._ Now." There's something authoritative in Gale's voice that makes Peeta move away. Gale comes toward me again and envelops me in a hug.

"How's it going, Catnip?" He says.

I shove him as hard as I can, though it's just about as effective as me trying to move a tree. He's too big. "Don't call me that. I hate you, you know that, right?"

Gale laughs once more. "Sure you do. But that's the problem. Because, Katniss, I still love you."

I'm so startled that I stop breathing. Gale sighs.

"This is nothing new, Katniss. I've always loved you. And I know you're married, and I know you have kids, but I still have hope that you'll pick me."

I shake my head in disbelief. "How can you still think that I have any feelings for you?"

"Because, Catnip. You don't resist me when I do this." He says with a smirk.

"Do what?" Even as the words leave my mouth, I already know what he's going to do.

"This."

And that's when he crushes his lips against mine.

~ :O GALE DID WHAT? What will happen next? I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I have too much homework! I'll update as often as I can, though! Review if you liked it!

~Fire


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Still don't own The Hunger Games. So, don't sue. Hope you like this chapter. ;D

~Fire

Gale wraps his arms around me, making escape impossible. I shove against him, but I can feel him smile against my lips. He's always been stronger than me. I kick him where it hurts, forcing him to bend over in pain. It's my turn to smirk. But not before I wipe my mouth off with my sleeve. Peeta walks over to Gale, infinite fury in his eyes. He, however, is _much_ stronger than Gale, so he picks Gale up with ease. He shoves him against a tree and snarls.

"Don't you _ever _touch her, you sick bastard. She's my wife. How dare you kiss her?" He drops Gale disgustedly. He swings his fist back, and connects it with Gale's nose. A sickening crunch is heard, and Gale's nose immediately starts spurting blood. Gale swings his fist, and it too connects with Peeta's nose, but he doesn't break it. Gale tackles Peeta to the ground, shoving Peeta's blonde hair into the ground. Peeta rolls over, placing him on top. He punches Gale again, causing more blood to spurt out. I'm about to separate them, but it's over just as soon as it began.

"Maybe that will teach you." Peeta says. He stands up and walks towards me, but stops in his tracks when Gale starts speaking.

"It doesn't teach me anything, Mellark. You want proof that Katniss' feelings for me haven't completely disappeared? Ask her." Gale says. He grimaces in pain, and places his Gamemaker's cloak to staunch the flow of blood from his nose.

Peeta looks at me. "Do you still have feelings for Gale?" He asks me. I shove past him, and walk right up to Gale.

"Gale, all my feelings for you vanished the day you turned you back on me 15 years ago. I feel nothing but hatred for you. What on earth makes you think I could possibly still love you?" I ask.

He stands up, one hand still over his broken nose. "Katniss, if you really are over me, like you say you are, then prove it. I want you to kiss me, and walk away."

I am furious at this point. "How the hell will that prove anything?" I shout.

"It will prove that you really are over me, if you can kiss me without crying, and just walk away."

I narrow my eyes. "No. No way in hell will I kiss _you_."

"Then you're not over me." Gale says.

I look at Peeta for help. His eyes are cold, and he speaks without emotion. "Just do it, Katniss. Just do it."

This completely shocks me. Peeta, telling me to kiss Gale?

"Fine." I say. I'll give Gale a kiss he'll never forget. I crush my lips against his, the way he did just a few minutes ago. My lips move with his, but there's no love involved. In fact, I could care less. I step away, my face free of any emotion. I wipe my mouth again.

"There." I say. "I hope you're happy."

Gale smiles at me before stepping back onto the train. "I'll see you later, Catnip." He says before closing the door.

Peeta walks over to me. "You okay?" He asks.

I nod. "I don't know why Gale wanted me to kiss him. I hate him, Peeta. You know I only have feelings for you." I say.

"I know." He says, and presses his lips against mine. There's a difference between Gale's lips and Peeta's. Gale's are rough, and forceful. Peeta's, on the other hand, are soft and sweet. We stop only when we hear the train door open again.

"Katniss!" My little sister squeals.

"Prim!" We run towards each other, and I catch her. Her blonde hair is in curls, and her eyes are filled with unshed tears.

"I'm so-" She starts, before breaking down and crying. She tries to get a few words out in between sobs, but just starts crying even harder.

"Shh, baby, it's okay." I murmur into her hair. She backs away, wiping her eyes.

"No, Katniss. It's not okay. I couldn't tell you I was alive, and for the past 15 years, you've thought I was dead!" She says, tears spilling onto her cheeks. She takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Katniss, I didn't die in that bomb. I was injured a great deal, but President Snow-" She stops talking, anger sparkling in her eyes. She shakes her head. "-Well, President Snow took me with him to his hideaway. He and some Peacekeepers healed me. Katniss, he kept me in a padded cell! I nearly went mad. I had no way of knowing if you were still alive, and the horrible things President Snow was talking about, like the different ways to kill people, made me cry and scream out in anger.

"I don't know when I stopped crying. I knew I had to be brave for you. Soon, President Snow began talking to me. He talked to me about all sorts of things, like what he thought of the different kinds of roses. He seems almost…..normal. I begged him to let me call you, but every time I asked, he whipped me. He finally began to let me go outside, but I didn't know where I was. " She wrapped her arms around herself. I took a step towards her, but she held out a finger.

"Wait." She said. She took a shaky breath. She whispered the next part. "He said Gale willingly agreed to be the Gamemaker if it meant not killing you. Katniss, I know how crazy this sounds, but Gale isn't bad."

I shake my head. "Did you just see what happened? He tried to kiss me! He made me kiss _him._ He's nothing but evil." I say.

Prim looks at me wretchedly. "I'm sorry." She says. "There's so much that has happened in the past 15 years that I can't explain very well. Maybe this will help." She opens the train door to her compartment and sticks her head in. "Jeremy! Come out here! And bring Lily!" She yells, and closes the door.

A minute later, the door opens, revealing a man holding a little girl, who can't be more than four.

"Katniss, this is my husband Jeremy." She gestures to the brown haired man. He gives me a smile. I'm dumbstruck. I have no doubt my mouth is hanging wide open. She takes the smiling 4-year-old from him, and even more pride fills her voice. "And this is our daughter, Lily." Lily waves to me, and her little chubby fingers make a grabbing motion.

"Want Katniss." Lily says.

I say the only thing I can at this point. "What?" It's the only thing my frozen mind can think right now.

"When?" I ask. Apparently, my mind can now only say one word questions.

Prim smiles sheepishly. "6 years ago, I met Jeremy. I told him everything. President Snow was furious, but he couldn't do anything to stop us. He knew that by hurting us, if you found out, he would be dead. At least, that's what he told me. But I think he let us live in peace for another reason. One that I can't quite figure out." She looks up at the full moon thoughtfully.

The moon's light makes her blonde hair look like strands of pure gold. My heart fills with remorse and regret. Remorse because I just recently found out Prim was still alive. Regret because I couldn't watch over her and help her grow up.

Lily looks at me. "Katniss." She says again, reaching for me.

Jeremy walks over to me, and hands Lily over. I hold onto her, and her hands cling to my neck. I think of when Violet was this young. Tears threaten to spill, but I bottle up my emotions. Prim looks at me.

"She likes you. I showed her a couple of pictures of you, mostly from the wedding dresses you tried on." Prim chuckles.

"But we better get going. I love you Katniss." Prim says before taking Lily and walking back into the train compartment. Jeremy gives me a sad smile. I wonder how much Prim told him about my life.

"Nice to meet you, Katniss." He says. I nod in return, and then look behind me. I had completely forgotten that Violet and Ash were still there. My cheeks flush when I realize they saw everything.

Violet walks over to me and gives me a hug. "Love you, Mom." She says in my ear. She grabs her small bag, and walks to Peeta, and gives him a hug. Ash gives me a hug too, and I hold him tightly to me.

"I love you Ash. I don't know what to say. Protect your sister, okay?" I ask. Ash nods grimly.

They get onto the train, waving goodbye. I feel as though my heart ripped in two. The pain in my chest is unbearable. I wait until the train is out of sight before bawling my eyes out. I feel warm, strong hands envelope me and pick me up. I open my eyes, and just the sight of Peeta makes me lose it all over again. I bury my head in his neck, crying even harder. He walks me into the bedroom, and sets me down on the bed, and pulls a blanket over me.

"Here, Katniss, drink this tea. It will help." He says. I don't know why he's not crying; doesn't he care at all? He presses a warm mug into my hand.

"When did you have time to make this?" I ask. He looks at me.

"I just did, while you were crying." He said.

Oh. I guess I'd been crying longer than I thought. I take a sip of the tea, and there's a certain sweetness to it, one that I can't quite place my finger on.

"It tastes sweet. What did you put in it?" I ask.

"Sugar berries." He replies, smiling.

I laugh. We're both remembering the time when I had to drug him with sleep syrup in the first Huger Games to meet Cato. I stop laughing when I remember what just happened. I am on the verge of crying again, when peacefulness overwhelms me. I lay on the pillow, letting sleep drag me under.

A/N: That was a long chapter! Hope you liked it! R&R please! Oh, and did you like the short fight between Gale and Peeta? And what about Prim and her daughter? Review! It makes me happy! Unless you want this story to go all emo, you should review! :D

~Fire


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: After a very long time, I've decided to update! Whoo! Anyway, in this chapter, we will know more about Prim. But mostly, this chapter will reveal secrets, and death. Who's death? Well, dear reader, you'll just have to scroll down to find out. ;) And since I haven't updated in a while, I decided to make this a long chapter. Review, and tell me what you think!

P.S.: Katniss tends to sleep a lot. Who could blame her? Kind of like Haymitch finding his solutions in alcohol, Katniss finds her sanity in sleep.

~Fire

Katniss POV

When I wake up, I feel drained. Yesterday's events have made me unusually tired. President Snow has taken away all that I love: Prim, Violet, and Ash. He's even managed to bring Sebastian Odair into this. And Gale? I don't even want to think about it. I make the decision to lie in bed all day, and close my heart to the raging emotions inside of me when the door creaks open. I wearily look up, and find myself staring into yellow eyes. Buttercup looks up at me and meows pitifully.

"I'm sorry." I say. I don't cry this time when I think of Prim, I merely feel a strong, echoing ache where my heart should be. I thought President Snow was gone, but he managed to hurt me once again. He once again managed to put the Girl on Fire's flames out.

I'm snapped out of my reverie when Buttercup presses his nose against my cheek. He cuddles up against me and purrs, something I've only seen him do with Prim. Suddenly, he turns his nose up and meows at me hopefully. He can smell Prim on my jacket. He hops off the bed, and runs into another room, no doubt searching for my sister. I roll over on my side, and close my eyes.

Sleep evades me. Instead of darkness where emotions have no value, I find my mind thrown into the past. Back in time my mind goes, feeding me memories that do nothing but worsen my current situation.

"_Katniss!" Rue shouts. Never had I heard a scream filled with such pain. And she was so little. Why did she die, you ask? All for the amusement for the sick, twisted Capitol viewers. And what makes it worse is that the Arenas are preserved. Thousands of Capitol viewers will visit the place where I sang to Rue. But will they ever know what it meant, how it felt to be within footsteps of Hell? Will they ever know true pain, like the pain I felt when Rue's cannon went off? _

"_Peeta!" I exclaimed._

_And that's when his fingers close around my neck. _

_Peeta hated me. He wanted me dead. He was convinced I was some sort of mutt, and it broke my heart. Why did it take me that long to realize it was Peeta I loved, not Gale? Peeta wanted to kill me. He attempted to. I couldn't bear to see the hatred that filled his eyes, I couldn't bear to face the detest that shined in his blue eyes._

I gasp, my eyes flying open, my hair stuck to my forehead with sweat. I go to move my hair out of my mouth when I realize my face is stained with tears. For 15 years, I've thought I was safe. For 15 years, I've thought the Capitol couldn't hurt me anymore. Peeta and I were the victors, we walked away from two Games, against all odds. But I realized something along the way.

You may win the Games, but you'll always lose the battle. The Capitol controls all the Districts, and there's nothing we can do to stop them. We're merely pawns in the Game. But what is the Game? I refuse to just stand by and watch innocent children walk to their deaths. But what can I, Katniss Mellark, just one person, do against President Snow? I'm powerless. A long time ago, I made a promise to a friend. I told her I would win for the both of us, as her blood stained the Arena. I promised, no I _vowed, _I would win. In a sense, I did, for I came out of that Arena with my heart still beating. But was I still alive?

Prim's POV:

I stare out the window of the train, watching the blurs of colors flow by. Green, blue, black, they all swirl into the hills. I can't make out distinct shapes, nor do I want to. I'm sitting at a table in one of the trains, Jeremy sitting across from me, Lily on his lap.

I say nothing, not a word to Jeremy. What is to be said? I'm going into the Games, though I have reached my 28th birthday. Age is merely a number when it comes to President Snow. Jeremy silently climbs out of the booth, hands Lily to me, and walks to his room.

I love Jeremy, I really do, but it's hard. He doesn't know what kind of hell I've had to endure. He doesn't know the truth of what President Snow did to me. And what I told Katniss? It was a lie. All of it, a lie. How much of our lives are based off lies? I can't bear to tell Katniss what really happened in those fateful 15 years.

_Something strikes me across the face, leaving a stinging sensation on my left cheek. I open my eyes, and squint into the harsh, bright light. I'm lying on some sort of a table, a white hospital gown covering my body._

"_You're alive. Good," Says a man to my right. I look over, and it takes my eyes a moment to focus on who spoke. When I realize whose snake-like eyes I'm staring into, I shiver and turn away._

"_Wishing I left you to perish in those flames, do you?" Snow asked, chuckling. I glared at him. How dare he chuckle? I say nothing, for I don't speak to snakes with blood-tinged breath. _

_President Snow seems to sense my unwillingness to talk. "Katniss is looking for you. She thinks you're dead." _

_At the mention of Katniss, my resolve not to talk disintegrates. "Katniss? Where is she?" I ask, refusing to let any emotion seep into my voice._

"_So you _can _talk." President Snow says._

"_Where is she?" I repeat._

"_She's fine. She thinks you died in the bomb. And she thinks I'm dead, too." Snow says, laughing._

_I try to move my hands, but they won't listen to my orders. I look down, expecting chains or shackles. When I see nothing that could be used to restrain myself, I look at Snow questioningly. _

"_Immobilizer. You won't be trying anything funny for a while. Unless, of course, you wish your sister to be harmed. I can kill her quite easily, you know. I could kill her simply, with a bullet through her head. As a matter of fact, you don't even know if you can trust me. Who's to say Katniss isn't already dead?" Snow said, before walking towards the door._

"_Don't hurt Katniss!" I yelled. He continues walking._

"_I'll do anything you want. Just don't….hurt her." I say the last part softly._

_Snow has his hand on the brass doorknob, but he hesitates._

"_I may just take you up on that." He says. He turns around and flashes me a wicked grin before walking out, the pristine white door clicking shut behind him. I hear a lock slide in place, but my brain is still wired. I know I'm being monitored; the high tech Capitol camera in the right corner of the room tells me as much._

_I close my eyes, and pray. I pray that I won't die in the clutches of Snow. I pray that Katniss and Gale and Peeta are okay. I pray for Buttercup. I clench my hand into a tight fist, wishing I could punch Snow right across his Capitol-altered face._

_My eyes snap open. I quickly calm my face, lest President Snow is watching me. I sigh, and attempt to move my left hand just the slightest. It works. My feet also respond. _

_I'm no longer immobilized. I want to jump off the table and try to open the door, but that isn't the smartest thing to do. The smartest thing to do is to devise an escape plan. I look around the metal table I lay on. There's a plain bed in the right corner, just below the security camera. In the left corner is a vanity with a dish of hairpins on it. Above the bed, next to the security camera, is a digital clock. Next to the hair pins is a variety of Capitol make-up. Next to the door I see my key to freedom- a fire extinguisher. _

_For the next 2 days, I have no visits from Snow. I've kept my eyes open just a bit, just enough to watch the red light flicker off for 30 seconds at 8:00. Pm or am, I don't know. I just know that the red light means the power. When it's off, the security camera is not active. _

_7:59. When the last, adrenalin filled minute passes, I look anxiously at the camera. The red light flickers off, and I hop off the table, my heart pounding furiously. I run to the fire extinguisher and grab it. I run over to the bed, and climb up. I figured I had about 10 more seconds before the camera re-registered and gave me away. I focus the nozzle and spray the lens of the camera, the white foam covering the lens entirely. My heart still beat quickly; there were many more obstacles to clear before I achieved freedom. I jumped off the bed, and run over to the vanity. I pick a gold hairpin out of the container, and dash over to the door. I bent it into a suitable position, and stuck the twisted hairpin into the keyhole. I knew I had only minutes, if not seconds, to finish my job before Snow came out to investigate the reason why his camera suddenly went white. _

_I heard a click, and breathe a sigh of relief. I push open the door, stepping into the hallway. My white hospital gown swirled around my feet as I walked around. I pressed my ear against a door that looked promising. No sound emanated from within, but looks, or in this case, sounds, could be deceiving. I opened to door a crack, and when nothing happened, I opened it fully. I gasped, my face breaking into a grin. I had achieved the seemingly impossible- escaping President Snow. Golden sunlight warmed my face, and birds flew around. There was a fence surrounding the property, but unless the fence was electrically charged, it was a small problem. I looked to my right and saw a rose bush. But this was no ordinary rosebush. This was a __white rose bush__. I gasped again, unintentionally stepping back. _

_My foot hits something, and I turned around. My breath catches in my throat. President Snow grins._

"_So I see you found a way out." He said, walking over to the rosebush, plucking a full white rose. He brings the unnaturally beautiful rose to his nose and inhales deeply, closing his eyes. _

_He opened his eyes, handing the genetically enhanced rose to me. I grasped it in my hands, grimacing when a thorn pricked my finger. A scarlet drop of blood welled up, but it didn't hurt. President Snow came up behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders. I barely repressed a shiver._

"_Blood and roses. Such a…..alluring combination, hmm? The rose symbolized purity. The blood, however, symbolizes everything tainted. So which side wins? The rose? Or the blood?"_

So my escape attempt hadn't worked. But, as the long years went by, I slowly came to the realization that President Snow intended to do something big. What was the big thing? I didn't know until recently. He kept me alive for a reason, and for an even stranger reason, he trusted me to go out in public. He was certain I wouldn't try to escape. And he was right. I met Jeremy about 7 years after my kidnapping, and soon after that, Lily came. With both a husband a baby girl, President Snow was in the perfect position to tell me what to do, without argument.

President Snow also restricted my communication. A tracker chip, implanted in my right forearm tracked where I was at all times. I wasn't allowed to go more than a mile past the house, if you could even call it a house. It was more like a jail cell. To this day, I still don't know where President Snow took me.

It tore me apart inside, being in constant reminder of what I had lost. Katniss, Gale, Peeta, and even my mom wound up in many conversations. I was kept in the dark. I didn't even know Katniss and Peeta had had any children. I couldn't even be sure if Katniss was alive.

It was Hell living with President Snow. What did I have to live for, what did I have to hope for? I don't know how I managed to continue living, but I had to. I had to, for Jeremy and Lily. But Jeremy couldn't know how it felt. He couldn't know the constant anguish I felt. He was my husband, yet how come he didn't know I cried myself to sleep each night? He knew most everything, including Katniss' story. He and I would sit on a couch as I talked to him, night after night.

I remember the day President Snow told me his plan. He said that I would have the incredible honor of being a tribute for the new and improved Hunger Games. He also told me that Violet and Ash were going into the Games, along with Sebastian Odair. It broke my heart. But, I knew a new piece of important information: Katniss was still alive, as was Peeta. President Snow also told me that Gale was the new Gamemaker. I was furious until Gale sought me out and told me everything. He was only doing this to protect Katniss. Obviously I still had my doubts, but I had known Gale since I was little. How could I not trust him? Snow then took me to the train, and I anxiously awaited my reunion with Katniss.

Snow didn't care about ages; my being 28 didn't stop him. On the long, 24 hour ride to District 12, I thought about the Games. How could I kill my own sister's children? I wasn't a cold-blooded killer. But the Games could change that sometimes.

I'm pulled from my memories when I hear Lily calling me. I smile and go into my cabin. I pick her up from her small bed, and carry her to mine. I lay her down next to me, and close my eyes.

"Mommy," Lily starts, "Will you tell me about auntie Katniss again? Tell me how beautiful she was in her wedding dresses."

I smile. Lily always talked about 'auntie Katniss' wedding dresses. She loved having me tell her how the pearls glimmered on the different dresses, how Katniss' beautiful black hair was curled, and how her eyes glowed. I dreamed of the day when I could buy Lily some dresses for her to dress up in. I open my mouth to speak when a bang at the door interrupts me. I assure Lily that I'll tell her about the dresses in a minute, after I investigate what caused the bang.

I get up, and walk towards the door. I hear a moan, and with a shock, I recognize it as Jeremy's. I fling open the door. I gasp, tears welling in my eyes.

Jeremy is lying on the ground, blood welling from a long gash on his forehead. _No, no, this can't be happening, _I think. I kneel down next to him, and as I prop his head on my lap, I realize that his gash is the least of his injuries. A red spot is blooming on the front of his white shirt at an incredible rate. I flip him over gently, and my eyes blur when I see the shaft of an arrow imbedded in his back, opposite where his heart is. I know not to pull the arrow out; it will do more damage than to just leave it in. I roll him over once more, careful not to put any more pressure on the arrow. My doctor side kicks in. _Let's see. I'll need something to stop the bleeding- a wet cloth perhaps? To prevent infection, I'll need a mixture of- _I'm thrown out of my thoughts when Jeremy groans and his green eyes flicker open.

"Prim," He whispers hoarsely, "take care of Lily." He closes his eyes.

"No." I say. I clear my throat. "No," I say again more forcefully, "you're not leaving me. You can't! What about Lily?"

He opens his eyes, with obvious struggle. "You can take care of her. Tell her…." He coughs. "Tell her I love her."

I feel the tears falling down my face. "Jeremy, you can't just give up. You can't die. You just…can't go."

But Jeremy seems not to hear me. "I love you." The last word is barely audible.

"I love you too, Jeremy. Just, please don't go. I need you." I say. But no amount of wishing will help Jeremy. No amount of hoping will stop Jeremy's blood from staining my fingers. I stroke his hair, and my tears fall, mingling with the blood on his face. His breathing slows, and with the last of his strength, he grips my hand.

He smiles, and then his chest is still. His eyes are still green, and his hand is still warm, but there is no life in him. His eyes have lost the loving sparkle that they usually held. He was still Jeremy, but he wasn't _my _Jeremy. He was just a wax doll with Jeremy's features.

I pull the bloody arrow out of Jeremy's back, hoping for some clues about his murderer.

I grip the stained arrow, and wipe the blood off with my shirt. I can see an image with an inscription, but it's indecipherable. I use my thumb to rub it across the image. When I see what it is, my blood runs ice cold. A beautiful engraving of a rose is at the stem of the arrow. It's a white rose. Along a petal of the rose is an inscription. _C. Snow_.

_Snow._ I should have known! But why? My life was already over; I was going into the Games. And we all knew that only one could come out of that Arena. And I would make sure it wasn't me. Violet and Ash deserved a chance, didn't they? So _why _did Snow kill Jeremy?

As I cradle Jeremy's lifeless body, I think of the days that lie ahead.

I hug Jeremy to me, and cry. The salty tears cascade down my face, and I'm filled with rage. Snow didn't even have a reason to kill Jeremy, besides making it known that he could kill anyone he pleased. I lower Jeremy to the cold hardwood floor, and I make the traditional 3-finger salute.

As I shakily stand up, I notice Lily standing at the doorway, staring at Jeremy uncomprehendingly.

"What happened to Daddy?" She asked. It was wrong on so many levels for a four year old to be exposed to death so soon.

I wipe my hand across my face, and I pick Lily up, burying my face in her curly brown hair.

"Daddy has wings now, Lily. He's in a very special place called Heaven. He won't be with you physically, but he'll always be here." I place my hand over her heart.

Lily looks at me and smiles at me with such trust and adoration, I'm almost overwhelmed with tears. How will she survive, if I die?

"I love you Mommy," She says. Before I can respond, Lily walks back into the room, and walks back out a few seconds later, something in her fist.

"I wanna give something for Daddy to have when he goes to Heaven," Lily said, walking over to Jeremy's body. She opens her tiny fist, and places a pin on Jeremy's chest.

I inhale deeply. "Lily," I start, "Where did you get that pin?" The pin was a bird, clutching an arrow in its beak, circled by a ring of gold. It was Katniss' mockingjay pin.

"Auntie Katniss gave it to me." Lily says simply. She walks back into our room, and crawled back into bed. Making sure she can't see me, I remove the pin from Jeremy's blood-stained shirt and place it in my pocket. I frown when I realize that Jeremy's body isn't warm anymore. I kiss his cheek, and walk into my room, closing the door on Jeremy.

I listen to Lily's breathing, counting the number of times she exhales. I kiss her hair, and clutch her to me. I sleep next to my daughter, possibly the last night I'll spend next to her alive.

A/N: Whoo! Long chapter! Now, off for you to review! I am addicted to this one singer (male or female, you'll have to guess) and I listed some lyrics. Though, it's kinda hard to spot. Virtual chocolate for anyone who knows the lyrics. Anyway, how did you like this chapter? Any questions you want to be answered in the next chapter? Any character POV you want to see? Leave it all in a review, including flames. Criticism is also accepted, and appreciated. Oh, and before you sue, I don't own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins does. I only own Lily and Jeremy, who is now dead. Poor Prim! Remember, leave a review! And have a great Thanksgiving!

P.S: I'm my own beta, so if there's something really obvious I missed, I'm sorry!

P.P.S: Also, if you want a taste of Peeta's POV of when he wanted to kill Katniss, go to my profile page and read "Real Or Not Real". You won't regret it! :D

~Fire


End file.
